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Prostate Cancer Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention
Learn about the causes and risk factors for prostate cancer and what you might be able to do to help lower your risk.
What causes prostate cancer?
Researchers have found some risk factors for prostate cancer, which are described below. But it’s not yet clear exactly how these factors might increase prostate cancer risk.
How gene changes (mutations) can lead to cancer
On a basic level, prostate cancer is caused by changes (mutations) in some of the genes in normal prostate cells. For example, some genes contain instructions for controlling when our cells grow and divide. Changes in these genes can stop them from working the way they should, which can lead to cells growing out of control. This can sometimes lead to cancer.
To learn more, see Genes and Cancer.
Inherited vs. acquired gene changes
Gene changes related to cancer can either be inherited from a parent, or they can be acquired during a person’s lifetime.
Inherited gene changes are thought to be a major factor in up to 10% of prostate cancers. However, most gene changes linked to prostate cancer develop during a person’s life, rather than having been inherited.
What causes acquired gene changes?
In general, the more quickly prostate cells grow and divide, the more chances there are for gene changes to occur. Therefore, anything that speeds up this process might make prostate cancer more likely. For example, higher levels of certain hormones or inflammation might speed up prostate cell growth or increase the risk of DNA damage in those cells. (Learn more about these risk factors below.) More research is needed to determine the possible link between these factors and prostate cell changes that lead to cancer.
Exposure to radiation can cause DNA changes in many organs, but so far it hasn’t been shown to be an important cause of gene mutations in prostate cells. Sometimes acquired gene changes just occur randomly within a cell, without having a clear cause.
What are the risk factors for prostate cancer?
A risk factor is anything that raises your chances of getting a disease such as prostate cancer. Anyone born with a prostate is at risk for developing prostate cancer, but some factors can increase your risk.
Having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get prostate cancer. Many people with one or more risk factors never get cancer, while others who get cancer may have had few or no known risk factors.
Understanding how these factors apply to you might help you make decisions about screening for prostate cancer.
Known risk factors for prostate cancer
Researchers have found some factors that can affect prostate cancer risk.
Prostate cancer is rare in men younger than 40, but the chance of having prostate cancer rises rapidly after age 50. About 6 in 10 prostate cancers are found in men older than 65.
Prostate cancer develops more often in African American men and in Caribbean men of African ancestry than in men of other races. And when it does develop in these men, they tend to be younger.
Prostate cancer occurs less often in Asian American, Hispanic, and Latino men than in non-Hispanic White men.
The reasons for these racial and ethnic differences are not clear.
Prostate cancer seems to run in some families, which suggests that in some cases there is an inherited or genetic factor. Still, most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history of it.
Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles a man’s risk of developing this disease, with the risk being higher for men who have a brother with the disease than for those who have a father with it.
The risk is much higher for men with several affected relatives, particularly if their relatives were young when the cancer was found.
Certain gene changes (known as variants or mutations) that are inherited from a parent can raise prostate cancer risk, although these probably account for only a small percentage of prostate cancers overall. For example:
- BRCA1 and BRCA2: These genes normally help repair mistakes in a cell’s DNA (genes) or cause the cell to die if the mistake can’t be fixed. Inherited changes in either of these genes greatly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women, as well as some other cancers. Changes in these genes, especially BRCA2, are also linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer.
- CHEK2, ATM, PALB2, NBN, FANCA, and RAD51: Changes in these other DNA repair genes might also be responsible for some hereditary prostate cancers.
- DNA mismatch repair genes (such as MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, and PMS2): These genes normally help fix DNA mistakes called mismatches that can happen when a cell is preparing to divide into 2 new cells. Men with inherited changes in one of these genes have a condition known as Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, or HNPCC, and are at increased risk of colorectal, prostate, and some other cancers.
- HOXB13: This gene is important in the development of the prostate gland. Changes in this gene have been linked to early-onset prostate cancer (prostate cancer diagnosed at a young age) that runs in some families. This gene change is rare.
Other inherited gene changes may also account for some hereditary prostate cancers.
Factors with less clear effects on prostate cancer risk
The exact role of diet in prostate cancer is not clear, but several factors have been studied.
Men who consume a lot of dairy products may have a slightly higher chance of getting prostate cancer.
Some studies have suggested that men who consume a lot of calcium (through foods or supplements) may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. But most studies have not found such a link with the levels of calcium found in the average diet, and it’s important to note that calcium is known to have other important health benefits.
Dietary vegetable intake, soy products, coffee, and multivitamin use have also been studied. However, none of these factors has consistently been linked to prostate cancer risk.
Obesity does not seem to increase the overall risk of getting prostate cancer.
Some studies have found that men with obesity have a lower risk of getting a slower-growing form of prostate cancer, but a higher risk of a faster-growing cancer. The reasons for this are not clear.
Some studies have also found that men with obesity may be at higher risk for having more advanced prostate cancer and of dying from prostate cancer, but not all studies have found this.
Most studies have not found a link between smoking and getting prostate cancer. Some research has linked smoking to a small increased risk of dying from prostate cancer, but this finding needs to be confirmed by other studies. Importantly, smoking is clearly linked with many other health effects, including an increased risk of many other types of cancer.
Research has suggested that exposure to some chemicals might increase prostate cancer risk. For example:
Some studies have suggested a link between exposure to arsenic and a higher risk of prostate cancer.
There is some evidence that firefighters can be exposed to chemicals that may increase their risk of prostate cancer.
A few studies have suggested a possible link between exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used widely during the Vietnam War, and the risk of prostate cancer, although not all studies have found such a link. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine considers there to be “limited/suggestive evidence” of a link between Agent Orange exposure and prostate cancer.
Some studies have suggested that prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland) may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, but not all studies have found such a link. Inflammation is often seen in samples of prostate tissue that also contain cancer. The link between the two is not yet clear, and this is an active area of research.
Levels of certain hormones in the body might affect prostate cancer risk.
Androgens (male hormones), such as testosterone, can feed prostate cell growth. Having higher levels of androgens might contribute to prostate cancer risk in some men, although studies so far have not found a consistent link.
Some research has found that men with high levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) might be more likely to get prostate cancer. However, other studies have not found such a link. More research is needed to make sense of these findings.
Researchers have looked to see whether sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, might increase the risk of prostate cancer, because they can lead to inflammation of the prostate. So far, studies have had conflicting results, and no firm conclusions have been reached.
Some studies have suggested that men who have a vasectomy, a minor surgery to make them unable to father children, have a slightly increased risk for prostate cancer, but other studies have found no increase in risk. Research on this possible link is still underway.
Genetic testing for prostate cancer risk
Genetic testing can look for some of the inherited gene changes that increase prostate cancer risk. Although genetic testing can be helpful in some situations, not everyone needs to be tested, and it’s important to understand what genetic testing can and can’t tell you before these tests are done.
The main benefit of genetic testing is that it can help you better understand your risk for a certain disease, such as prostate cancer. Genetic testing isn’t perfect, but it can often help you make decisions about your health.
Considering genetic testing for prostate cancer risk
If you’re concerned about your risk because of a personal or family history of prostate cancer, talk with your doctor about whether genetic counseling and testing might be a good option for you.
Your doctor will probably want to know more about your family history and other factors to get a better idea about your risk of having an inherited gene change.
Your doctor might suggest that you meet with a genetic counselor or other healthcare professional trained in genetic counseling. They can review your family history in detail to see how likely it is that you might have an inherited gene change.
Who might be advised to get genetic testing?
Genetic counseling and testing is more likely to be recommended if there’s reason to think you could have an inherited gene change that raises your risk of prostate cancer.
Some expert groups have developed guidelines for who should consider genetic counseling and testing for prostate cancer risk. These guidelines can be complex, and they vary slightly.
In general, if you’ve never had prostate cancer, genetic counseling and testing might be recommended if:
- There is a known gene change (such as in one of the BRCA genes) that runs in your family.
- You have a strong family history of prostate cancer or certain other cancers that suggests one of these gene changes might run in your family. This might include many blood relatives with cancer, unusual cancers (such as breast cancer in men), or cancers diagnosed at a younger age than usual.
Understanding your test results
If testing shows you have a gene change that raises your risk of prostate cancer (and possibly other cancers, depending on the gene change), it might lead you to:
- Take steps that could lower your risk.
- Start getting screening tests at a younger age, which might help find cancer early.
- Be aware of possible signs and symptoms of cancer, so you can see your healthcare provider earlier if you have them.
- Inform your family members about the gene mutation, so they can decide if they want to be tested for it as well.
If testing does not find a gene change, it can help reassure you and might help lessen your anxiety about your prostate cancer risk, as well as that of your family members.
However, genetic testing has limits. Not all tests look for the same gene changes. Tests often look for the most common gene changes, but they don’t look for every gene change that might affect your risk. This means it’s possible you might still have an inherited gene change even if testing doesn’t find one.
And of course, not having an inherited gene change doesn’t mean your prostate cancer risk is zero. It just means you have about the same risk as most other men, and you can decide what steps you want to take based on this information.
If you have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer
If you have prostate cancer, especially if it is an advanced or fast-growing cancer, your doctor might recommend testing the cancer cells (removed during a biopsy or surgery) for certain gene changes. The results of testing might affect your treatment options. For example, some targeted drugs are only likely to be helpful if your cancer cells have certain gene changes.
If testing does find a gene change in the cancer cells, your doctor might also suggest genetic counseling and testing. This involves testing some of your other cells for the same gene change, such as from a blood or saliva sample. This type of genetic testing can show whether you inherited the gene change that was found in the cancer cells. This might help you learn more about your risk of other cancers, and possibly the risks among other members of your family.
For people with prostate cancer, genetic counseling and testing might also be recommended if:
- You have a family history of prostate cancer.
- You’ve also had another type of cancer (especially breast cancer).
- You are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (and therefore at higher risk for a BRCA gene mutation).
- Your prostate cancer has spread to other parts of your body.
- Your prostate cancer has high-risk features, or it includes intraductal carcinoma.
Your cancer was diagnosed at an earlier age.
To learn more about genetic testing and counseling, see Genetic Testing for Cancer Risk.
Can prostate cancer be prevented?
There is no sure way to prevent prostate cancer. Many prostate cancer risk factors, such as your age, race, and family history, can’t be controlled. But there are some things you can do that might lower your risk of prostate cancer.
Body weight, physical activity, and diet
The effects of body weight, physical activity, and diet on prostate cancer risk aren’t completely clear, but there are things you can do that might lower your risk.
Some studies have found that men with excess body weight have a higher risk of developing advanced prostate cancer or prostate cancer that is more likely to be fatal.
Although not all studies agree, several have found a higher risk of prostate cancer in men whose diets are high in dairy products and calcium.
For now, the best advice about diet and activity to possibly reduce the risk of prostate cancer is to:
- Get to and stay at a healthy weight.
- Be physically active.
- Follow a healthy eating pattern, which includes a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and avoids or limits red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and highly processed foods.
To learn more, see the American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention.
Vitamin, mineral, and other supplements
Vitamin E and selenium: Some early studies suggested that taking vitamin E or selenium supplements might lower prostate cancer risk.
But a large study known as the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) found that neither vitamin E nor selenium supplements lowered prostate cancer risk. In fact, men in the study taking the vitamin E supplements were found to have a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer.
Soy and isoflavones: Some research has suggested possible benefits from isoflavones, which are plant compounds found in soy, in lowering prostate cancer risk. Several studies are now looking more closely at the possible effects of these compounds.
Taking any supplement could have both risks and benefits. Before starting vitamins or other supplements, talk with your doctor.
Medicines
Some drugs might help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
5-alpha reductase inhibitors
5-alpha reductase is an enzyme in the body that changes testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the main hormone that causes the prostate to grow. Drugs called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, such as finasteride and dutasteride, block this enzyme from making DHT. These drugs can be used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a noncancerous growth of the prostate.
Large studies have shown that men taking either drug were less likely to develop prostate cancer after several years than men getting an inactive placebo.
When the results were looked at more closely, the men who took these drugs had fewer low-grade prostate cancers, but they had about the same risk of higher-grade prostate cancers, which are more likely to grow and spread. It’s not clear if these drugs can lower the risk of dying from prostate cancer, as men in these studies had similar survival rates whether or not they took one of these drugs.
These drugs can cause sexual side effects, such as lowered sexual desire and erectile dysfunction (impotence), as well as the growth of breast tissue in some men. But they can help with urinary problems from BPH, such as trouble urinating and leaking urine (incontinence).
These drugs are not approved by the FDA specifically to help lower prostate cancer risk, although doctors can prescribe them off label for this use. Because they haven’t been shown to lower the risk of the more dangerous prostate cancers, most doctors don’t recommend them just for prostate cancer prevention. Men who want to know more about these drugs should discuss them with their doctors.
Aspirin
Some research suggests that men who take a daily aspirin might have a lower risk of getting and dying from prostate cancer. But more research is needed to show if the possible benefits outweigh the risks.
Long-term aspirin use can have side effects, including an increased risk of bleeding in the digestive tract. Although aspirin can also have other health benefits, at this time doctors typically don’t recommend taking it just to try to lower prostate cancer risk.
Other drugs
Other drugs and dietary supplements that might help lower prostate cancer risk are now being studied. But so far, no drug or supplement has been found to be helpful in studies large enough for experts to recommend it.
- Written by
- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
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Last Revised: October 13, 2026
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